Magnitude 6 Earthquake Strikes Near Tokyo, Causing Train Delays

A magnitude-6 earthquake struck early today off the Japan coast about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Tokyo, causing transportation delays and injuries.

The tremor, centered off the coast of Izu Oshima Island, hit at 5:18 a.m., the Japan Meteorological Agency said on its website. The depth of the quake was 162 kilometers and it had an intensity of lower 5 on the Japanese scale of 7. There is no threat of tsunami, the agency also said.

It was the strongest felt in the Japanese capital since March 2011, when a magnitude-9 earthquake hit the country’s northeast, according to public broadcaster NHK. The record temblor left more than 18,500 people dead or missing and crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear station.

Seventeen people in prefectures including Tokyo and Kanagawa reported injuries, NHK said, citing local fire departments. Tokyo's subway systems were briefly halted after the quake, while some other train services were delayed or canceled, according to Kyodo News. (Bloomberg)